Prisms
by NeonNavy
Summary: Aria and Ezra's relationship is on the rocks, Ezra  goes on a trip to New Jersey with Jackie, will Jason break Aria  out of her prism of regret and help Aria realize she deserves better than a man who leaves her at home while he's out with his ex-fiance.
1. Fighter

Ezra walked into his apartment building, he got to his door and he found his girlfriend Aria standing at the door with a tear stained face. Fresh new tears gathered around her eyes.

"Aria, what are you doing here? Are you okay? Are you in trouble?" Ezra asked, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her petite body.

"Mike… he pushed me and I fell and … he's been having lots of mood changes and I was talking to him and he just exploded and he… he… he pushed me." Aria burst into a whole new fit of sobs.

"it's okay, Shh… it'll be okay… Did you hit anything when you fell ?" Ezra asked Aria,

"I hit my head against his desk… I can't believe he did that to me,.. I mean… he's my little brother." Aria wiped the tears from her face.

"Come on in, sit down and have some water… " Ezra offered, Aria remembered that she had to talk to Jason Dilaurentis… _Best not to tell Ezra about that, _Aria thought.

"I can't, I have to go to Spencer's and study for my math exam" Aria lied, if Ezra found out she was he would be furious, he doesn't trust Jason, Aria didn't know if she did either.

"Okay, Study hard, and Aria,"

"Yeah?"

"I love you" Ezra said.

"I love you too"

/:/

Aria slowly walked up the path to the Dilaurentis' house. Aria knocked on the door, she looked for a doorbell she couldn't find one, Jason must be putting in a new one.

Jason opened the door, a look of surprise washed over his face.

"Aria?" Jason said, after a second of being confused a smile washed over his face, Aria noticed his pajama pants. Had he just gotten out of bed?

"Hi Jason, can I talk to you?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, sure… " He invited her in "It's a bit messy, its been a while since someone's popped over" He led her to his plush cream colored sofa. "So what did you want to ask?" Jason asked.

"…What? Oh yeah, umm…" Aria said, she was more focused on how cute and harmless when he has just gotten out of bed. "Well, I've noticed severe mood changes in Mike, and I was wondering if there's anything that I could help with, and anything I should look out for… basically I'm just really concerned about him and I want to know some things to look out for," Aria asked.

"I'm concerned with Mike's behavior also, mood changes are a big factor with depression, I don't want him to turn to drugs or alcohol to relieve his pain…" Jason said.

"Thanks, I mean, I'm glad he has someone that's looking out for him," Aria confessed.

"Mike's a good kid, it's just a bit of a detour that's all.." Jason encouraged.

"Thanks, again," Aria got up and put her arms around Jason who was already standing up, he was surprised but he warmed up to it, ever since he'd come back to Rosewood he couldn't stop thinking about Aria, he missed the pink streak in her her, he missed her cute clueless expression but mostly, he missed her.

"Ouch!" Aria said. Jason immediately released his grip around her body.

"I'm so sorry Aria, I didn't know I was squeezing that hard."

"No it's not you," Aria said, she lifted her shirt along the back, she moved her soft fingers along the area that was causing her pain, she came across a scab, she turned around to go and find a mirror, Jason gasped, Aria turned around.

"What? What is it?"

"Here come look" Jason took her hand gently, afraid of hurting her any further.

Aria looked in the mirror in the washroom and was surprised to find a huge apple sized bruise on her back, a scab lay on top of the bruise.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking" Jason asked suddenly worried.

Aria realized that this was from Mike pushing her, she must've hit her head and hit her back along the sharp edges of Mike's desk.

Aria turned around and told Jason the whole story about Mike, he hadn't realized that it was that bad with Mike.

Jason placed a cool ice pack on her back, he was livid. He thought he would punch Mike, he couldn't believe someone had hurt Aria.

"Thanks a lot Jason…" she smiled, a sincere smile. God, he needed her, he craved her, she was a breath of fresh air in his otherwise boring, and lonely life.

Aria stretched on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on Jason's cheek. Jason blushed, just to have Aria as a girlfriend meant everything to him, but of course, she was unavailable.

Aria started walking towards the door, Jason opened the door for her.

She stepped out of the house and turned around a waved to Jason and mouthed the word Bye. She walked down the pathway. She checked her phone. No new messages from A thank god, but one from Ezra. She opened it.

_Call me as soon as you get this_

_-E_

She dialed his number, he picked up on the second ring.

"Aria?"

"Hey Ezra… So what's up?"

"Aria can we meet somewhere?"

"Sure, where though? How about Mantra?" Aria suggested, she remembered reading the Rosewood Writer about this vegan restaurant located in the heart of Rosewood.

"Mantra? Where is it?" Ezra asked.

"Downtown" Aria said, starting to walk there.

/:/

"So what's the big news?" Aria asked, sipping her extra hot black coffee with some fake milk with a weird aftertaste.

"I'm umm… I'm going to New Jersey for a teaching seminar" Ezra confessed.

"That's so grea—" "With Jackie" "WHAT?" Aria yelled so loud the tranquil host gave her a dirty look.

"Listen Aria, this is a big opportunity I have to do this." Ezra said.

"I guess… I trust you, its her I don't trust, I mean, ugh… go, go to New Jersey. I'll be waiting here."

"I'm leaving tomorrow, it was so last minute but I feel like I could benefit from it. I hope you understand" Ezra said

"Yes, I do…"

/:/

Aria locked herself in her room, she burst into tears for the second time that day.

Why did her life have to be so messed up? She had a boyfriend who was going to New Jersey with his ex-fiancé and while he's gone she had to deal with Mike, and then her parents and her friends and then A by herself and have no support, but then there was Jason… Jason was supportive and friendly and why the hell did he have to be so god damn good-looking?

Aria let her head fall down on her pillow, her mind drifted to thoughts of Jason. Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in" Aria said, quickly pushing all of the tissues of her bed.

"It's locked?" she heard her mom answer form the other side.

Aria unlocked her door, her mom waited on the other side.

"What's up?"

"Well, since I'm a teacher and every month a teacher volunteers to cook dinner for the teachers… not all of them come, but I volunteered, so I want you to join us for dinner" Ella asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, so I'll invite them." Ella said.

/:/

_Ring Ring…_

Aria picked up her home phone.

"Hello?" Aria said into the receiver.

"Hi Aria, It's Jason."

"Oh, Hi Jason!"

"I just wanted to confirm my place at the dinner tomorrow night."

"Oh, Yeah, sure I'll tell my mom about that." Shit. What was she going to do, with Ezra gone Jason would be more tempting, she was going to give him the cold shoulder. Pretend like he didn't exist. But with that smile giving him the cold shoulder might be hard.


	2. Lover

Aria put on her favorite dark purple Chantilly lace dress with white tights, she looked in the mirror and realized she was baring to much skin for her teachers to see, she placed a shrug over her shoulders. Aria picked out her nude Miu Miu pumps and headed to her dresser to put on her make-up.

She went over her plan, tough love Aria, Tough friggin love. No emotion.

/:/

The guests (or in Aria's case teachers) came to her house one by one, they all gathered in her living room. So far, Jason was nowhere to be found, thank god.

_Ding Dong…_

Aria opened the door, a perfectly dressed Jason was standing on the other side of that door. _Damn he looked hot. _Aria thought guiltily.

"Jason, Hi!" Aria said, almost too enthusiastically. Jason handed Aria a bouquet of flowers.

"These are for you," Jason says, shoving his hands in his pocket in a attempt at stopping himself from touching her.

"Aww… thanks Jason, they're beautiful." Aria wrapped her arms around his strong frame.

"Aria? Who's at the door? Oh Hi Jason." Ella came around the corner and greeted Jason with a kiss on the cheek, for a moment Aria was jealous of her mom.

"Why don't you come into the parlor and meet the rest of the PTA and other teachers." Ella led Jason into the living room. Aria went into the kitchen to help cook dinner.

"Are the potatoes done?" Byron asked as he chopped up the carrots for the salad.

"Almost" Aria answered, "I'll be right back" Aria walked up to her room and found her phone. _No New Messages._

She decided to call Ezra to give her some reassurance that she didn't need Jason, she had what she needed right in front of her.

_Ring… Ring… Ring… Ring… Ring …Ring… Ring…_

_No Answer._

"Damn it," looks like going cold shoulder was all she had left.

She walked back down to where the dinner was, every spot was taken besides the spot next to Mr. Blackburn and Ms. Mulberry but straight across from her was Jason.

She grinned at Mr. Blackburn who was the Geography teacher, she sat down, Jason's eyes lay on her for most of the meal.

"Ella, the food was amazing, thank you… Mr. Knight will be sad he missed it" Ms. Tomsley said as she walked out the door of the Montgomery household.

"Bye Martha, see you on Monday" Ella said as she closed the door, Ms. Tomsley was the last teacher to leave the dinner. Aria didn't see Jason leave, she regretted not saying bye. She took off her pumps and walked upstairs to her room.

"Jason?" Aria's heart beat a million times a minute, it could've been leaping through her chest for all she knew.

"How did you get up here? My mom has been beside the front door for and hour.." Aria said, her heart still pumping madly.

"Well, I don't really know… I just walked up, anyway, remember what I said a couple of weeks ago?" Jason said, Aria's mind was spinning back to the night when he confessed his feelings.

"Yes, I mean… I guess." Aria said, calming herself down.

"None of that has changed, if anything I have fallen more in love with you. I still know your unavailable but I can't help but feel that there is something between us, basically what I'm saying is I love you, and if you choose to not return it, that will be okay, but can't we just see how this goes?" Jason said, pouring his heart out.

"Jason I—" But it was too late, Jason pushed his soft lips against Aria's, Aria ran her hands through his sandy blonde hair. He slowly and gently parted Aria's lips they're tongues fought for dominance. Aria came up for air, she only got a few seconds before she felt the pressure of Jason's lips again.

She knew what she was doing was wrong, she wasn't a cheater but she had found that her and Ezra's relationship had become a bit boring, and besides she wasn't un-welcoming Jason's tongue in her mouth.

"Jason…What…"

Jason placed a chaste kiss on both of Aria's cheeks and one on her lips, his soft lips caressed hers.

"I love you Aria, I've loved you since the first time I lay eyes on you with that pink streak in your hair" Jason placed one last kiss on her lips, before they heard steps climbing up the stairs. Jason climbed out the window, Ella walked into her room just after Jason let go.

"That was fun, I'm exhausted. Don't go to bed too late dear," Ella said as she left the room. Aria took off her dress and put on her comfy PJ's. she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep sleep. 

/:/

Aria walked by the Dilaurentis house, a trick Ali taught them, sure enough Jason was working outside he was shoveling dirt from the looks of it, a really deep hole. What was it for? Was Spencer right? Was Jason a killer? Had she hooked up with a killer?

She walked up the pathway, eager to see Jason. Jason heard her footsteps and turned his head up, a smile plastered his face. He dropped the shovel and put his hands on Aria's waist.

"Hey" Jason said just before he pressed his lips against Aria's. Aria knew what she was doing was wrong, she didn't want to hurt either of them, but she wasn't a cheater, she pushed the thought out of her mind and tried to carry on as if it never passed her mind, he did what she knew best, change the subject.

"Hey" Aria replied. "What are you digging a hole for?"

"I'm looking for buried treasure, but I think I might've just found it" Jason said, he knew he was being extremely cheesy.

"Wow, that's the best you got?" Aria murmured against his lips.

"I don't know, you'll just have to spend more time with me to find out" Jason said, taking Aria's hand and leading her into the house.

He poured himself a glass of lemonade and then offered Aria one.

"No thanks, so seriously why are you digging the hole?" Aria asked as he sipped his lemonade, she couldn't help but notice his smile as he put his glass down.

"It's Nothing…" Jason answered.

"Come on tell me" Aria prodded.

"If you must know its an extension on the house, I was just digging a hole for the foundation… see told you it was nothing." Jason smirked.

"You dork!" Aria laughed.

"Hey, Look who's talking, I'm not the one who used to have pink streaks in her hair" Jason said as he walked towards Aria. He placed his arms around her, he never thought he could be as happy as he was now.

"I thought you liked the streaks…" Aria said as she put on her best pout face.

"I did, believe me, I did…" Jason said, a sly smile crossed his face.

The rest of the day Ezra or Jackie never passed Aria's mind, the loneliness had subsided, the nagging stitches of her heart coming undone scared her but the more time she spent with Jason the more she felt her heart throb with the pain of getting hurt. But for now, Jason was all she could think about.


End file.
